The field of this disclosure relates to vibration control, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling the vibration of a steering wheel.
Vibrations are propagated through the mechanical structure of vehicle steering systems. The vibrations are created by the engine and by the interface of tires on road surfaces. The vibrations are transmitted to the steering system components and are ultimately transmitted to the steering wheel.
Improvements to the steering system performance can be gained by reducing the vibration of the steering system transmitted to the steering wheel. Passive isolation would make the structure softer which could also increase the transmission at the resonant frequency. A passive isolator will require that the isolation system be so flexible that the structural integrity of the system would make this system infeasible or performance must be sacrificed. These passive vibration control techniques make the steering system more bulky in applications where increasing the weight of the structures in the system is undesirable. Thus, there is a need in the art for improved control of the vibration transmitted to the steering wheel.
A method and apparatus for a damped steering assembly as disclosed herein. The damped steering assembly includes a steering wheel attached to a steering column. Disposed between the steering wheel and the steering column is an active vibration control mechanism. The active vibration control mechanism damps vibration transmitted from the steering column to the steering wheel. The above-described and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims.